More Reverse Batfam Trash

Jason Todd's Guide to Babysitting a Five Year Old

After about forty seconds, Jason left his room, rolling his eyes. "What?"

"It won't open." Dick pointed at his bedroom door. 

Jason tried the handle and pushed it open. "See? It's fine."

"Thank you." Dick pushed past him into the bedroom. 

Jason looked into the room after him as Dick began the struggle of changing into his pyjamas. He groaned. "Why do you have a nightlight?"

Dick looked at his green nightlight, confused. "What?"

"You're too old for a nightlight." Jason insisted crossing the room and going to pull it from the socket.

"NO!" Dick tried to stop him. 

Jason looked him over. "Unless you want me to leave it in?" Dick caught the mocking tone in his brother's voice and shook his head. "Good." Jason unplugged the nightlight, plunging them into darkness. "See? It's not that bad!"

"Uh huh." Dick nodded and began crawling into bed. He really wasn't liking tonight. He reached under the blankets and grabbed Peanut. At least Dick still had him.

"Pfft, you're gonna sleep with Peanut?"

"What?" Dick asked.

Jason reached over him and grabbed the stuffed elephant. "Only Babies sleep with plushies." He tried to take the elephant. Dick tried to grab Peanut back. Jason held the toy out of his reach. "You're not a baby, right?"

"No." Dick shook his head a little.

"Good." Jason took peanut from the room and put the toy in the linen closet in the hall. "See? It's not that bad!" Dick nodded a little, looking up at Jason. Bruce usually put him to sleep. "Go to sleep." Jason stated, leaving the room and snapping the door shut.

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Dick couldn't sleep. He was too scared. There was absolutely no light in his room! The monsters could be ANYWHERE!

He didn't know how long he'd been hiding under his blanket. It felt like days. At least if he had Peanut, he had the slightest hop of sleeping.

He was starting to think that maybe Jason wasn't right about everything he was saying.

Another ten or so minutes of lying in the dark had him certain. He would just have to put up with Jason calling him a baby. He wanted Peanut back. 

Careful that no monsters grabbed his ankles, Dick clambered out of the huge bed and crawled across to the door. He managed to pull it open. The hallway light wasn't on either. Dick crawled to the linen cupboard and yanked on the door handle, heart skipping a beat as he imagined something lurking behind the door.  But Peanut was the only thing behind that door that he cared about.

He drilled his feet into the floor and pulled as hard as he could. He felt a slight give and the door creaked open.  His vision suddenly went black as felt something land on him. 

A monster in the closet. He knew it. 

Dick let out a blood curdling scream. He kicked as hard as he could. He would give anything for Jason to come out and find him. 

"What the FUCK?"

YES! It was Jason. Dick screamed again, unable to form any coherent words. About half a second later he felt the thing be torn off of him, and Jason's face appear in the shadows.  

"JAY!" He screamed, raising his hands into the air, as if asking for his brother to pick him up. He hadn't even realized he was crying. 

"Why the hell are you out here?" Jason asked, holding up Dick's attacker: a heavy wool blanket. 

Dick wiped his face with his arm, pointing into the closet, to the stuffed elephant resting on a high shelf. "I want him!" Jason looked back and forth between Dick and the plush toy. "I want him!" Dick repeated, sobbing a little.

"OKAY! okay, I'll give him to you, just STOP CRYING!" Jason grabbed the Elephant and chucked it at his brother. "Okay? Stop crying!" 
Dick grabbed Peanut and hugged him as tight as he could. He buried his face into the toy. Jason pulled his little brother off the floor and staggered a little, carrying him to his room.

"Okay, Dick, go to sleep. You have your plushie, so sleep."

Dick shook his head, grabbing Jason's arm. "Don't. Stop leaving!"

"Well I can't sit here until you're asleep!" Jason pulled away, only for Dick to start crying again. Jason knew his days would be numbered if Bruce came home to Dick still awake and bawling his eyes out.
 A sacrifice had to be made, and it couldn't be a goat this time. 

"Don't go!"

"Okay, FINE! I'll stay! Do you want your nightlight too?" Dick nodded, tearfully. Jason reached under the bed and plugged it back in. He'd mock Dick for this in the morning. 

Jason lay against the wall at the foot of Dick's bed, watching Dick snuggling under the covers. Okay, maybe five was a little young to give up comfort objects... He lent over his brother, who was nearly asleep by now, he must have exhausted himself. 

Dick's hair was so unfairly pretty. Jason put his hand in his brother's hair and scrunched it a little. Dick turned over, eyes still closed. "Jay?"

"Yeah."

"Good." Dick turned back over and fell asleep.